Stores that retail convenience goods or commodities on a daily basis often present their goods on shelves. In order to create an ordered display of these displayed goods and to enhance their presentation there is used shelf management systems comprising a number of different accessories, such as shelf dividers, different types of feeder devices for pushing the goods and different types of trays, etc. Such accessories are often mounted on the upper surface of the shelf.
Known technology allows these accessories to be affixed to the shelf in a number of different ways, for instance mechanically with the aid of screws or corresponding devices, by frictional engagement or by adhesion with the aid of double-sided adhesive tape or by corresponding means.
The devices used to fasten the accessories to the shelves will preferably have some fundamental properties. One important property resides in the ability to fasten the accessories at selected positions along the length of the shelving, so as to position the accessories in a selected space relationship that is adapted to suit different packages and different quantities of goods.
It is also particularly important that the accessories are securely held to the shelving. The fixing device should, of course, prevent the accessories from being loosened inadvertently from the shelving. It is also important that the accessories will not be displaced inadvertently along the shelving.
For reasons of space and also for aesthetical reasons it is preferable that the accessory fixing arrangement projects as slightly as possible from the upper surface of the shelving and its front side.
Shelf dividers are an example of accessories with which the space relationship of the accessories is particularly important. The shelf dividers often consist of partitioning walls which are fastened to the shelving such as to extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the shelving and to project perpendicularly therefrom. The primary purpose of the shelf dividers is to separate different groups of goods from one another and to create order on the shelving. Particularly when a goods pushing means is placed between two shelf dividers, it is essential that the shelf dividers are not displaced towards one another, not even to the slightest extent, since the friction between goods and shelf dividers may then become so great as to prevent advancement of the goods.
Feeder devices for merchandising in general are used for example in grocery stores where goods are exposed on the shelves. Feeder devices are used to push forward placed goods or stored items, one behind the other in rows, to the front edge of the shelf, in order to facilitate the picking of the goods, improve visibility of the goods and make the shelf aesthetic appearance more appealing.
The feeder device may include a base or web which is placed on the shelf so that it extends from the shelf front edge in a rearward direction. A feed sled is slidably disposed on the base along its length. When the shelf is to be refilled, the sled is pushed rearwards and a row of products is placed in front of the sled, which then engages the back side of the rearmost product. At automatic feeder devices the sled is forwardly biased, for example by a coil spring which is arranged on the backside of the sled and which at one end is attached to the front end of the base. At manually operated feeder devices, a tool having a handle or grip which is accessible by a person standing in front of the shelf may be connected to the sled. When the foremost positions at the shelf are empty, personnel may grip the handle and pull the sled forwardly, thereby moving the remaining products forwardly and filling the foremost positions.
To improve the system of the shelves and to separate neighbouring goods from one another, feeder devices are often used together with shelf dividers or partitions. The dividers comprise a dividing wall that extends from the shelf front edge in an essentially rearward direction. Dividers may also comprise a front stop plate or front extending perpendicularly to the dividing wall on one or both sides of said wall, to prevent goods from falling off the shelf. The dividers are attached to the shelf next to each other to form compartments in which the feeder devices are placed. The distance between dividers is chosen in accordance with the relevant goods width, so that the goods are brought into line with each other in their respective compartments. This minimizes the space required to store the goods on the shelf, while the shelf aesthetic appearance becomes more appealing. To fit the different products and product packaging, dividers can be designed in a variety of ways. For example, the dividing wall height may vary widely. Furthermore, the fronts of the dividers can be designed in a variety of ways, for example as regards the width, height and contour, to suit different goods and to provide desired visual impact for every occasion.
Feeder devices and dividers should be easy to assemble and disassemble from the shelf. The feeder devices and the partitions are possible to fix at arbitrary positions laterally along the shelf, to thereby provide goods compartment with the desired width.
Especially at shelf management systems comprising automatic feeders, it may be difficult for personnel working in the store to know how many products are remaining in each compartment and when the compartment should be refilled. Each compartment should preferably be refilled before the compartment is completely empty, since this increases the sales and customer satisfaction. Normally, the compartments should ideally be refilled when approximately three to four products remain in the compartment.
WO 2012/042721 A1, JP 2003210286 A and JP H 07241227 A all disclose feeder devices with means for continuously displaying the number of remaining products. Such continuous display of the number of remaining products is however often superfluous since it is sufficient for the personnel to know only whether or not the number of products has decreased below a certain value. The continuous display also requires a relatively complex design involving a comparatively high number of moving components or electronics. Furthermore, these devices requires that the person wanting to know the number of remaining approaches each feeder device individually and studies the displayed number at a comparatively short distance.
WO 2013/153579 A1 discloses a feeder device which comprises means for detecting and alerting that the remaining number of fed items has fallen below a predetermined number. At this known device the alert is given at the rear end of the device. The device is comparatively complex in construction and the rear end alert requires that the forward movement of the feeder sled is translated into a rearward movement of the alert member.
It would be advantageous if personnel directly could get an indication that products are running out in certain shelf compartments by just walking along the shelf aisle or even just cast a glance along the aisle from its end.